Process for treating bituminous shale



J. H. GINET.

PROCESS FOR TREATING BITUMINOUS SHALE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 3|. 1919.

1,371, 1 60. Patented Mar. 8, 1921.

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.l. H. GINET. PROCESS FOR TREATING BITUMINOUS SHALE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT- 31,1919,. 1,371,160.

Patented Mar. 8; 1921;

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' exact description of the invention, such as PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH H. GINET, 01 DENVER, COLORADO.

raocrss FOR TREATING mrummous snare.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 13, 1921.

Application filed October 31, 1919. Serial No. 384,840.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH H.. Gmn'r, a citizen of the United States, residin at Denver, in the county of Denver and vtate of Colorado,'have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes for Treating Bituminous Shale; and 'I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and

will enable others skilled in the art to which it ap-pertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to the treating of shales.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved method of subjecting shale in a furnace or retort to the heat thereof.

A further object 'of this invention is to provide-an improved process of treating the shale whereby the shale in each section or zone of the furnace is quickly and substantially simultaneously heated to a predetermined temperature and the gases evolved drawn off while 'still at that term erature.

The invention hereinafter set' orth is described in connection with and illustrated by an improved apparatus by means of which out.

In the draw. Figural is a diagrammatic longitudinal section, partly in elevation of a furnace constructed in accordance with my invention, the agitating and conveying mechanism being? omitted at the central sections.

ig. 2 is a vertical section on line- A-A' 1, showing a modified form of'agitator. ig. 3 is a detail elevation view of one-of the a 'ta'tin and conveying members-show- 1 ing t e pre erable form of agitating member. Fig. 4 is an edge elevation of the construction shown in F g. 3.

Fig. 5 isa detail view of one of the conve g blades. I

fi i gs. 6, 7 and 8 are detail views of the formof agitatingblade, shown in Fig. 2.

Bituminous shales contain organic matter which, -when theshale *is heated .volatiliz'es and passes oil as hydrocarbon gases. ferent hydrocarbon ases pass off at different temperatures. t the lowest temperature there will be ;.evolved the, as from which the lightest oil, such as gaso ene, etc., may be obtained by condensation.

the process can be efiicientl'y carried 3 Difticularly described as At successively higher temperatures there Wlll be successively evolved the various gases from which respectively there may be obtained by condensation successively heavier oils.

If, at any time, or an stage-of the process any portion of the s ale be subjected to a substantially higher temperature than that at which the lightest gas still contained in the shale is evolved, fixedgases'and free carbon will be formed and likewise any gas subjection to the higher temperature, be

changed to fixed gas and free carbon.

' Therefore, in recoverin oils from shale it is desirableto subject t e shale to succes-- The uniform heating of all of the shale in each stage or zone of the treatment is essential and likewise the free escape of -thegas as it is evolved, is essential. An uneven The principal element of my inventidn,

therefore, is the devisin of a recess, for treating shale in whic the s ale 1 is so handled, moved or agitated that the heat is given free access each article without having to pass through the halemass and the s accomplished whileand in combination with moving large quantities of shale through the furnace in which the treatmenttakes place.

My apparatus and prooessare more'parfollows 1 within housing 2,

I provide a' shell 5 aced therefrom as at 3 and su ported. th gy resterein in any suitable manner as ing in the end walls thereof asat 4. Any

all of such gas be while still at that temperature, for condensation.

. values and,

to each particle of shale and gas is permitted to? freely escape from I evolved at the lower temperature will, by bituminous shales commonly known as oil shale at such I through the mass of suitable heating means asburners may be employed for independently heating the various sections or zones of the shell 1.

Any suitable means as hopper 6 may be em- 5 ployedfor feeding the fresh shale into one end of the shell, the spent shale being dlscharged at the 'opposite. end of the shell through any' suitable discharge means indicated at 7. A suitable vent for products of combustion fromthe heating means may be rovided as indicated at 8. t predetermined desirable points along the shell vents as 9 are rovided for drawin off the evolved hy rocarbon gases.

I ithin the shell .1 is positioned a shaft 10, extending through and suitably. revolubly mounted and packed in the ends of the shell as at 11, which shaft may be revolved by anysuitable means indicated by crank 12.

Upon the shaft 10 l mount and attach in any suitable manner as by collar 13 and set screw 14, suitable arms 15 and 16, prefer ably formed integral as shown, for carrying conveying blades 17 and lifting, turning,

spraying or showering members 18. The conveying blades 17 are attached in any suitable manner as by rivets 19 to the arms 7 15. The shell 1 being here shown as circular conforms 'to the contour of the outer edge of the conveying blades. This conformity is, essential only in part viz, at the lower portion of the shell, indicated by line XX on which the shale will lie and along which it will be moved whilebeing treated.

The relative conformity of that portion of the shell above the shale mass w1th outer contour of the conveying blades is immaterial. The portion of the shell above the shale may be of anydesired shape so long '40'as suflicient'spacebe left for the necessary movement of the conveying blades.

By varying the angularity of the conveyer blades, the may be varied at'any desired point in the shell'by variation of the angle of the blades at various points.

On the arms 16 are positioned the agitating or shale lifting, turning and spraying or s owering members. The work of these members is to agitate, lift, turn and spray or-shower the shale so that theheat shall have free access to every particle of the shale and so that the gas evolved shall have free escape from each particle.

devices which will alternately lift the shale from the floor and let it fall and cause it,

in falling,'either to be turned over as a plow turns 'overthe earth or to be sprinkled or showered down. I v

Any construction which will raise the shale from the floor and, during its operation, turn it over or break up or loosen the mass, may be employed. I have found the T two-forms of-flifter shown in the drawing speed of movement of the shale i This may be accomplished by the use of in the form of a short shallow trough or Q0.

shovel with floor 22 and sides 23 and 24, one side being attached in suitable manner as by rivets 25 to arm 16. The shovel is so positioned that its front edge as the shaft revolves will slide along the floor of the shell "/5 scooping up the shale therefrom while the bottom of the shovel is inclined backward and upward at an acute angle to the floor of the retort as shown. This operation causes the shale to be sucessively lifted completely from the floor of the shell and showered, sprayed or sprinkled down from therear edge of the shovel thus thoroughly breaking up the mass of'shale and separating the particles, allowing the heat free access'to each particle and allowiiig free es- 'cape of gas from each particle. It is also relatively thin and substantiallv uniform layer over the floor of the shell thus securing a uniform heatingfroln the shell.

The lifting or agitating member shown in Fig. '2 and in detail in Figs. 6 and 8, is a blade resembling in shape a plow. It is attachedto arm 16 inany suitable manner as by intermediate arm 19. The joining of these members may, ifdesired, be h pins 29 and 21 permitting the arm'19 an blade 18 to swing respectively on arm 16 and arm 19. These parts may, of course, be fixedly attached to each other by rivets or other suitable means, in any desired relative positionas shown in F ig. 2.

It will be evident that asthe shaft-Hirevolves the blades 18 will plow through the shale which is inthe shellbelow the line XX and will lift the shale from the inne be determined in practice according to the quality andquantitly of shale to be treated. In case a given s ale is foundto give off its gases readilyitmay be found desirable 131;

to move it quickly through the shell or it may be found desirable to treat*- a lesser depth of shale and move it more quickly.

Conversely if a shale responds slowly or if a greater depth of shale is to be treated, the shaleshould be moved forward slowly in relation to the number of strokes of the lifting blades or scoops.

J With the conveying and lifting means here described it is ossible to quite effectively divide the'shell into sections or zones and this I do by providing partitions vor baflles 26 with apertures 27 therein to accommodate shaft 10. These partitions or baflles divide the shell completely except at the bottom where they terminate at a sufficient height to permit the shale to pass beneath.

- By regulating the heatin units 5 the de- 20, sired heat maybe obtaine in each section or zone in order to evolve the lightest gas evolvable from the shale when it reaches that zone. That gas being evolved and escaping freely, passes off through the vent 9,

from that zone or section and is conveyed to and condensed in a suitable condenser not shown.

I claim: 1. A "processof treating bituminous shale 30 and the like consisting of placing the shale on a surface in a heated chamber and alternately lifting the shale and causing it to fallwithin said heated chamber, substantially all of the shale on a given portion of said surface being thus lifted and made to fall, whereby gaseous products are evolved from the shale, and collecting said products. r

2. A process of treating bituminous shale and the like consisting of placing the shale on a surface in a heated chamber and alternately lifting the shale and causing it to fall in a shower within said heated chamber, substantially all of theshale on agiven portion of said surface being. thus lifted and showered, whereby gaseous products 'are evolved, and collecting said products.

3. A process of treating bituminous shale 2 and the like consisting of passing shale over sively and alternately lifting the'shale and causing it to fall; in a showerwithin said heated chamber, whereby in each successive operation substantially all shale on agiven portion of said surface is lifted and showered, wherebygaseous products are evolved, and collecting said products. 4. Aprocess of treating bituminous shale and the like consisting of placing the shale on a surface in a heated chamber and alternately lifting the" shale and causing it to fall in a shower in such manner as to in-r vert the relative positions of the particles of shale on said surface within said heated 6 chamber, substantially all of the shale on a recovering oil a surface in a heated chamber and succes-- given ortion of said surface being thus lift- -ed an showered, whereby. gaseous products are evolved, and'collecting said products.

5. A process of treating bituminous'shalm- I and the like consisting of passing the shale 170 over a surface in a heated chamber and alternately lifting the shale and causing it to fall in a shower within said heated chamber in such manner as to invert the relative positions of the particles of shale on said surface, substantially all of the shale on a given portion of said surface being thus lifted andshowered, whereby gaseous products are evolved, and collectingsaid products.

6. A process of treatin bituminous shale and the like consisting o passing the shale over a heated surface and, while so doing, alternately lifting and showering the shale, substantially all of the shale on a given portion of said surface being thus lifted and showered, whereby gaseous products are evolved from the shale, and collecting the products. V v

.7. A process of treating bituminous shale and the like consistingof passing the shale overv a heated surface and, while so doing, lifting and showering the shale, substantially all of the shale on a given portion of said surface being thus lifted and showered in a layer of substantially even depth, whereby gaseous products are evolved from the shale, and collecting the products.

8. A process of treating bituminous shale and the like consisting of passing the shale over a heated surface and, while so doing, alternately lifting and showering the shale, substantially all of the shale on a given portion of said surface being thus lifted and howered in such manner as to invert the relative positions of the particles of 0 .shale in theclayer, whereby gaseous products are evolved from the shale and collecting the. products. Y

9. A process of treating bituminous shale and the like continuously for the purpose of therefrom, which consists in passing comminuted shale continuously and successively through zones of suczfisively' higher temperature and repeatedl ifting and. showering substantiallyall of he shale throughout its passage through each heat zone, arid collecting the gases evolved in each'zone.

10. A process'of treating bituminous'shale and the like continuously for the purpose of recovering oil and like products therefrom, which consists ofpassin comminuted shale continuously and successlvely through zones of successively higher temperature and showering substantially all of'the shale substantially continuously throughout its passage through each heat zone, and collectingthe gaseous products evolved in each zone. w

11. Aprocess. of treating bituminous shale 30 i and the like consisting of continuously* passing the shale through a heated air tight ehamber,' successively lifting substantially all .of the shale from different areas of the floor of the chamber and showering it and continuously removing the resulting gas and spent shale from the chamber.

12. The process of distilling oil from a given" quantity of cornminuted bituminous shale which consists in showering substan-' tially all of said shale within a heated retort. Jor the, entire period necessary to distil substantially all 'ofthe volatilizable products. In testimony whereof I afiix my signa tili'e. v t

JOSEPH H. GIET. 

